On Jan 30th, some videos popped up on the social media platform that feature people venturing outside (or to their front doors) and throwing pots, pans and cups of boiling water into the frigid, below-zero air. In every video, the boiling water immediately turns into an icy vapor.

Chicago will be colder than some parts of Antarctica this week thanks to the polar vortex, which has caused temperatures to plunge far below zero. Chunks of ice have formed in the Chicago River, and train tracks in the city have been set ablaze while transit workers try to keep the steel from freezing.